Back-up valve



R. S. NEWTN BACK-UP VALVE Dec. 1, 1931.

Filed oct. 9, 1930 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 1, 1931. R. s. NEWTON BACK-UPVALVE Filed Oct. 9, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Slwcnfor obmb SW1P/wwwGttorncg tion.

Patented Dec. 1, 1931 c UNITED STATES PATENT oFFi'cE REERT s. NEWTON, 0EWATERToWN, NEW YoRx, AssreNoRTo THE NEW YYORK AIR lBRAKE COMPANY, ACORPORATION 0E NEW JERSEY BACK-Ur vALvE Applcation'ledOct-ober 9, l1930.Serial No. 487,611.

This'invention relates to air brakes and particularly to devices knownl.as whack-up valves.

In backing trains in yards and into-stations, the brakemau at' the rearof the train must control the brakes, and does so by means of a back-upvalve connected to the brake pipe at the end of the train. Byr means ofthis he vents the brake pipe slowly or rapidly to produce service orlemergency, applications, as circumstances may require.V Such devicescustomarily include a warning signal Whistle operated by air from thebrake pipe and controlled by a valve which the brakeman actulatesmanually. .Y

Recently back-up valves of the so-ealled dead-man type, have comelintouse, a. deadma-n valve being one whichtends to open and .freely vent thebrakepipe, andmust beheld pending its dead-man function.

The purpose of the present invention Vis to prevent the suspensionofthedead-man function `by such means, whilethe train is in mo- The resultis accomplished by providing an interlock between the signal valve andthe means for suspending the dead-man function', which interlockprevents blowing of the signal whistle whenthe 'dead-man function issuspended. As the signal whistle must be blown frequently, and asfailure to blow it would be spotted by inspectors, temptation isremoved, orj atleast 'effectively counteracted. Y l 'f The preferredembodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in wh'ich,- I f l Y Fig. 1 is a vertical axial section. v

Fig. 2 is a plan view. g Y l Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the valvewiththeusual short length offhose and `hosev 'coupling for' attachmentto abrake pipe.

vThe valve body is' illustrated. at 6 -andis formed with a nipple 7 forattachment of the hose 8 Ywhich carries at its other end the coupling 9.l

Formed inthe valve body is a seat 11 controllinga lateral vent passage12. Opposite the seat 11 is a'threaded aperture which receives thethreaded plug 13.' Plug 13 is formedl withk a guideway for the stem 14of valve 15, which coacts with seat 11. A light spring 16 urges thevalve in a closing direction, but with only sufficient force to seat thevalve when the device is not under pressure, for convenience inmanipulation. When the device is under pressure the valve opensautomatically.

The valve 15 has a rubber face 17 held by a cap nut 18, and the stem 14is formed at its outer. end with a head or button 19. Formedintegrallywith body 6 and at one side thereof is a hand-grip member 21,U-shaped in cross section. At its outer end, adjacent valve stem 14, thebody 6 carries 'two lugs, 22 between which is pivoted on pin 23 a curvedlever 24, which parallels the grip 21, and, like the grip member 21, isU-*shaped in cross section.

. AAs shown in Fig. 2, the lever 24 is narrower than the grip member 21,so that the flanges of the lever enter-between the flanges of the gripmember, forming a hand grip of rounded cross section. By graspingthegrip, made .up of member 21and lever 24, the. operator holds valve 15closed. .A

-j Mounted between the flanges of member 21 -on pivot 25 is a trigger26, which projects through a slot inmember 21, in position to beactuated by the index finger ofv the hand which grasps the grip. Thetrigger forms a sort ofl bell-crank, one end of which engages thethrust-pin 27 to force ball check -valve 28 in an opening directionagainst the action ofspring 29; -When the valve is unseated, air mayflow from the brake pipe by way of ports31 and 32 to a whistle 33. Suchair flow is not rapid enoughto apply the brakes. Y A

.Slidably mounted in the member 21 between the flanges thereof lis alatchbar 34 having a. beveled nose 35 adapted toicoact with a beveledkeeper 36 on the lever 24. The latch bar 34 is supported and guided bypins 37 and 38, Which pass through slots 39 and 4l lin the bar. The baris urged in a disengaging direction by the coil spring 42 and may beforced in an engaging direction by the hook-like suspending lever 43which is pivoted'at 44 yon .member`2l, and has a head 45 working-in arecess in bar 34. Y

The bar 34 is formed'with a shoulder 46 which passes into and out ofobstructing relation with thetrigger 26 as the nose 35 moves into andout of engagingrclation With the keeper 36. y

F or suspending the device under normal conditions of use, a hook 47 is.formed zon lever 24. v

l"The ldevice is used as vfollower-#The cou=y 'p'ling 9 isJat-'tached tothe 'coupling on the hose at thev rear-end of the rear car, andthedevice is suspended-by'hooking the lever A43 on ja grab-iron, yplatformvrailing orjthe like. JWhen hoo-king the device on the'support, theoperator'engages the nose 35 with lkeeper 3 6, the Weight of lthe'device'maintaining the vengagement and act'ingto seat valve 15 tightly.

The abovejoperations may be `performed in any order, and "thereaftert'heangle cock yat therearoi the rear car is opened. The opera-tor thenclimbs to position, grasps thc ormedby themembers 21 and 24, and

lifts the device to .release lever Ljateh vbar34 isfimmediatelydisengagedby spring '42,-rele'asing lever 24fto restore the dead`m2-inAl'in'ction, and releasing trigger 26 to permit Y' manual 'actuation ofthe'whistle valve.V

The Loperator `mustgrasp the jgrip tightly *tof-prevent La brakeapplication. He may re- 'lieve'fhimself of the Weight lo'f the 'devicebyhanging the device on hook 47, but hecannot-engage--tl-ie latch bar 34VWithout flo'cking freqi-ientjuse, the Ieifect the Whistle valve.sthe'fwhi'stle must-be liin vis toeliminateimproper-use-'o'fthe latch.'f contemplated.

i W-hat iis claimed is,-`

l. In a back-up Vvalve Jfor ai-r brakes, the

v combination of" a body adapted 'for Vconneci "vv-ith agbrake pipe;--ineans 'controlling the Y tion-with a brake pipe `meanscontrlli'fngthe venting of' said Vbody 'and havin-g an opening tendency,said meansV and appart associa-ted `ivi-th theb'ody 'being adapted to-be grasped the 'hand A'effan' operator to hold said vent-contrdl-fling'means closed; a'signal valve op- -erablein dependently-ofsaid ventingfme'ans';

' randfmea-ns for simultaneously latching said vent controllinglmeans 1nvent `closing posi- ,i ion :and Apreventing actuation ofi said signalvalve. n Y 1. f ,In azbaekLupvalve Vlfor air'brakea the com-binatlon ofa bodyadapted for connection venti'ngeflsaid body and having anop'eningftendency,`sa1d means 'and a part associated flvvi-th -the'fbodyadaptedto be grasped 1in the hand-oan'operator to :hold Asri-id ventcontrolling means closed; a signal valve operable independently of saidventing means; means for simultaneously latching said vent controllingmeans in vent closing position and preventing actuation of said signalvalve; and `yielding means urging said Ilatching means in disengagingdirection.

r3. In a back-up valve for air brakes, the combination of a .bodyadaptedfor connec- .tiony with a brake pipe.,- means controlling theventing of 'said' body Vand 'having an opening tendency, said means anda part associated with the body being adapted to be grasped in `"thefhand A'ofrazn operator to hold said vent controlling means closed; alsignal valve operable independently "of said venting means; vmeansfor:simultaneously "latehing said vent controlling .means in vent closingposition and preventing actuation of "said signal vafl-vejyi'eldingmeans urging said `la'tehing means in Adisengaging direction; 'and meansyfor supporting said body, operatively connected with said latchingmeans, andserving to shift'said latching means vin anl engaging4directionl when'the' bodyis supported thereby.

r'4. In" aback-up valve device, the combination of "a vbody fhaving `aYbrake pipe connection 'and 'a Vbrakepijpe discharge passage; a discharge valve controlling'said passage, and having an opening tendency whenthe ydev-ice is'in `use; AVan air Voperated Warning signal; Ta signalvalve controlling flow to said signal; a grip structure including a partassociated 'With saidbOdy, and a part associated Awith fsaid dischargevalve, and adapted to be -grip'structure, to actuate said signal valve;

vandra 'latch 'mechanism 'orv simultaneously 'holding said dischargevalve closed and preu, venting actuationlof saidsignalvalve. Y Y Variousmodification-s are :possibley and are 5,.` In a back-fnp'valve device,the combination of'a rbody having' a brake pipe connec- V 'tionand'abrake pipe discharge passage; a

"dischargefvalvefcontrolling said passage, and

"having an open-in'gtendency when the ldevice is 'in use;a:n airoperable Warning signal; a signal valve *controlling liiovv tofsaidsignal; a *grip* structure including a partv associated 'with "saidbody, and v'a part associated with said- `I discha-rge' valve, and'adapted to be Agrasped in anlopera'toshand 'to hold the discharge valveclosed; 'means 'operable by va digitof these-me hand While grasping saidgrip structure, to actuate said signal valve; and' al wedging llatchV'mechanism for simul- -taneouslyurgingfthe parts of said lgrip structuretogether and ,preventing actuation fof said signa'lvalve' actuatingmeans. p .r6.- In a back-up valvedevice, the Vcombina- 'ftion ofa bodyVhavi-rig -a brake p1pe connecdischarge valve-'controlling said passage,and

is in use; an air operated Warning signal; a signal valve controllingflow to said signal; a grip structure including a part associated Withsaid body, and a part associated with said discharge valve, and adaptedto be grasped in an operators hand to hold the discharge valve closed;means operable by a digit of the same hand While grasping said grlpstructure, to actuate said signal valve; a

latch mechanism for simultaneously holding said discharge valve closedand preventing actuation of said signal valve; and yielding means urgingsaid latch mechanism in a releasing direction.

7. In a back-up valve device, the combination of a body having a brakepipe connection and a brake pipe discharge passage; a discharge valvecontrolling said passage, and having an opening tendency when the deviceis in use; an air operated Warning signal; a signal valve controllingflow to said signal; a grip structure including a part associated withsaid body, and a part associated 'with said discharge valve, and adaptedto be grasped in an operators hand to hold the discharge valve closed;means operable by a digit of the same hand While grasping said gripstructure, to actuate said signal valve; a Wedging latch mechanism forsimultaneously urging the parts of said grip structure together andpreventing actuation of said signal valve actuating means; and yieldingmeans urging said latch mechanism in a releasing direction.

8. In a back-up valve device, the combination of a body having a brakepipe connection and a brake pipe discharge passage; a discharge valvecontrolling said passage, and having an opening tendency When the deviceis in use; an air operated Warning signal; a signal valve controllingflow to said signal; a grip structure including a part associated withsaid body, and a part associated with said discharge valve, and adaptedto be grasped in an operators hand to hold the discharge valve closed;means operable by a digit of the same hand While grasping said gripstructure, to actuate said signal valve; a latch mechanism forsimultaneously holding said discharge valve closed and preventingactuation of said signal valve; yielding means urging said latchmechanism in areleasing direction; and meansfor supporting said body,operatively connected with sai latch mechanism and serving to shift thesame in an engaging direction when the body is supported by saidsupporting means.

9. In a back-.up valve device, the combination of a body having a brakepipe connection and a brake pipe discharge passage; a discharge valvecontrolling said passage, and having an opening tendency when the deviceis in use; an air operated Warning signal; a signal valve controllingiowtosaid signal; a grip structure including a part associated with saidbody, and a part associated with said discharge valve, and adapted to begrasped in an operators hand to hold the discharge valve closed; meansoperable by a digit of the same hand While grasping sai gripstructure,to actuate said signal valve; a Wedging latch mechanism forsimultaneously urging the parts of-said grip structure together andpreventing actuation of said signal valve actuating means; yieldingmeans urging said latch mechanism in a releasing direction; and meansfor supporting said body, operatively connected with said latchmechanism and serving to shift the same in an engaging direction whenthe body is supported by said supporting means.

10. The combination of a sel-opening dead-man brake pipe vent valve; asignal device; normally inactive means or locking said vent valveclosed; and means rendered effective by the operation of said llockingmeansto prevent the actuation of said signal device.

11. The combination of a self-opening dead-man brake pipe vent valve;normally inactive means for suspending the self-opening function of saidvent valve; a secondary manually .operable mechanism associatedv Withsaid vent valve; and vmeans effective when said normally inactive meansis active, to control'actuation of said secondary mechanism.

Y In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT S. NEWTON.

